Bullet Time with 60 iPhone 17 Pros Shooting Liu Yifei — I Recreated a Budget Version with AI | Tutorial Included
Bullet Time Effect Goes Viral Again in China
Recently, the bullet time effect made a comeback in China thanks to the VOGUE Gala.
Stars seemed frozen mid-air while the camera glided smoothly around them — creating a surreal feeling where time stands still but perspective flows. Once associated only with The Matrix, this cinematic trick spread like wildfire online.
▲ Image from: VOGUE
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Behind the Scenes of VOGUE’s Bullet Time
The production team Film Typhoon and VOGUE’s editor-in-chief revealed that the setup used:
- 60 iPhone 17 Pros
- Genlock (synchronization lock)
Genlock ensures all phones capture frames in perfect sync, aligning footage from every device for a smooth 360° wrap-around shot.
▲ Image from: Film Typhoon
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The Tradition of Bullet Time
Originally, bullet time required expensive, complex rigs.
Example: The Grammys’ iconic super-slow-motion scenes — generated using high-speed cameras combined with robotic arms.
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Affordable AI Alternative
The big question: Can it be done cheaper?
Yes.
With just one still photo and a free domestic AI tool, you can recreate 70–80% of the bullet time vibe.
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Sample Results
Basketball — Stephen Curry Mid-Shot
Prompt:
> In a basketball game, the moment of mid-air confrontation is frozen, the blue-uniformed player’s jump shot is statue-like, the white-uniformed player’s block is suspended, the camera slowly orbits 360° around the subject, the audience in the background shifts with spatial depth, keeping the subject at the visual center.
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Soccer — Lionel Messi in Strike
Prompt:
> Soccer player frozen in motion, statue-like posture, blue-and-white striped jersey frozen mid-flutter, 360° orbit camera showing red-and-white stadium seating with layered movement, yellow captain’s armband remains perfectly still, subject stays at visual center.
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Martial Arts — Ip Man in Wing Chun
Prompt:
> Martial arts move frozen at the moment of force, white robes static, camera completes a clockwise orbit, wooden railings and brick patterns of the ancient building background shift smoothly, subject’s gaze locked on the camera center.
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Stage — Jack Ma
Prompt:
> Man frozen sculpture-like on stage, bow tie ribbon completely still, camera orbits clockwise showing grid patterns in background wall with 3D depth, round shapes reflect fixed-angle light, text arrays shift with perspective.
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How to Create Bullet Time with AI
Step 1 — Select Your Photo
Choose an image with:
- Clear subject
- Distinct background
Step 2 — Build a Strong Prompt
Include:
- State of the subject
- Distinctive background details
- Camera movement description
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Step 3 — Use Keling AI
We used Keling AI’s video generation function.
Universal Prompt Template:
> Cinematic bullet time, subject frozen sculpture-like, camera orbits clockwise around subject, background has noticeable parallax layering, camera motion smooth and stable without shake, subject always at the center of the frame.
Tip: Ask Keling’s built-in DeepSeek assistant to refine your prompt — increases success rate significantly.
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Step 4 — Improve Coherence
- Use different angle photos for start and end frames
- Repeat the movement twice from different angles, pick the best frames
- Ensure subject fills the frame — larger subjects improve AI consistency
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Step 5 — Optimize Model Usage
- Kelint Video 2.1 Master Edition = high quality but expensive (100 points per clip)
- Version 1.6 offers good results at lower cost
- Rely on volume — if one clip fails, generate another
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Advanced Stage — Personal Highlights
Once you master basics, apply bullet time to personal iconic moments:
- Your slam dunk
- Diving splash
- Playing in snow
- Lifting hotpot tripe
Add the AI shots, simple BGM, and you’ll have a unique bullet time video — not VOGUE’s professional level, but impressive using only a photo and a free AI tool.
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Why This Matters
Within 6–12 months, AI video imperfections may disappear entirely.
The democratization of AI means anyone can create cinematic moments — no cost, no technical skill, no prior experience.
It’s not about replacing professionals, but expanding creative possibilities.
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Monetizing Your AI Creations
If you’d like to share and earn from your bullet time experiments across platforms, check out AiToEarn:
- Open-source global AI content monetization platform
- Links AI generation tools, cross-platform publishing, analytics, and AI model rankings
- Publish to Douyin, Kwai, WeChat, Bilibili, Xiaohongshu, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, YouTube, Pinterest, X (Twitter) simultaneously
Perfect for turning AI creative experiments into shareable and monetizable content.
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Final Thought:
Everyone deserves the opportunity to freeze a fleeting moment — and now, with free AI tools, we can.
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Would you like me to also add a quick “cheat sheet” table summarizing prompt building tips for bullet time AI videos? That could make this guide even more actionable.
